Saxifraga paniculata var. minutifolia Minutifolia

The Saxifraga paniculata var. minutifolia is a charming small form of paniculate saxifrage or encrusted saxifrage. This perennial forms a very dense mat of evergreen foliage, beautifully toothed, arranged in tiny rosettes. This green to silvery gray foliage, sometimes tinged with purple-brown, is encrusted with limestone, giving it a white border. In late spring, short, red-tinged flower stalks bear creamy white flowers. It is an alpine saxifrage that thrives in slightly moist and sunny limestone rockeries.

The Saxifraga paniculata belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. This species is found in Norway, Iceland, Greenland, central and southern Europe, the Caucasus, and Canada. The Saxifraga paniculata var. minutifolia forms small, dense rosettes of oblong or elongated, tough, and toothed leaves. They are green-gray in color, with limestone encrustations along their edges, creating a silvery border. The flowering plant reaches about 10 to 15 cm in height with a spread of 30 cm. The low flower stalk bears creamy white flowers in a branching panicle, measuring 3 cm, between May and June.

The Saxifraga paniculata var. minutifolia thrives in rockeries or in well-drained and slightly moist, limestone soils, avoiding acidic soils. It is a hardy plant. It can be grown in a pot if provided with the right conditions. It forms a dense mat that gradually spreads. It can be combined with other alpine perennials such as Androsace, Alpine Pink (Dianthus alpinus), or small gentians. Between paving stones or on walls, it can be accompanied by all these small interstitial perennials: thymes, wall bellflowers, Campanula chamissonii 'Major', or Phyteuma scheuchzeri or Scheuchzer's Rampion.